LONDON: Hunting is a sensitive topic in the United Kingdom, going beyond animal welfare to cross into the perennial class divide issue that is an enduring characteristic of the country. In 2004, the Labor government saw the passing of a law banning fox hunting, much to the chagrin of countryside conservatives who continue to go hunting despite the new legislation. Some types of hunting are legal and endorsed by conservationists as a way to protect habitats. Such is the case with deer hunting. They no longer have natural predators, defenders say, therefore culling is necessary to keep the herd, and their habitats, healthy. However, organizations like Friends of Animals in the U.S. beg to disagree with that point of view. One of the latest episodes to fan the flames of the ethics, or lack of, involved in the killing animals for ‘sport' was the death of Emperor, a giant stag made famous by photos taken of him by photographer Richard Austin and published in English newspapers last and this year. Emperor lived in Exmoor, southwest England, and at 9ft (2.75m), 300lb (135kg) and imposing antlers, he became something of a wildlife icon. He was considered to be the largest wild animal living on British Isles. Nature observers loved watching him rule over his territory and attract a harem of female deer during the rutting season. He was a king all right. But his reign has come to an end. Recently it was announced that Emperor had died and the circumstances of his death remain shrouded in uncertainty. Douglas Batchelor, director of the anti-hunting NGO League Against Cruel Sports, said Emperor was shot just over two weeks ago near a place called Rackenford Moor. The location and date were confirmed by reports on the BBC and local media. It is estimated that he was killed between Barnstaple and Tiverton. “The Emperor had clearly become a trophy for bloodsports fanatics, and the inevitable price on his head was too great. His felling, especially during the rutting season, shows a shocking disregard for the vast majority of the British public who enjoy seeing these beautiful, majestic creatures in their natural habitat without pointing a gun at them” the League said in a statement earlier this week. The organization told Bikya Masr that his killing is “believed to be legal”, though, and it is not actively looking for the shooter. In fact the shooter and the person who did the commissioning are likely to remain low profile. Locals are furious at the incident, said Exmoor deer management expert Peter Donnelly. Some people think that media exposure increased Emperor's risk of being shot, although Austin denies that. Trophy hunters would have known about him anyway, he claims. One of the latest developments of the Emperor saga is that former Queen guitarist, Brian May, a passionate animal rights advocate, has challenged the hunter to reveal himself. “The idea that someone can pay to kill an animal, to take pleasure in the killing, and then take a part of their anatomy to hang on their wall as a trophy, belongs in the dark ages with bear-baiting and burning witches at the stake. It's a really ugly part of British culture that should be consigned to history”, he told the Daily Mail. Elsewhere, the Guardian newspaper on Thursday (28) reported that doubts have been raised whether the Emperor was actually killed. Lack of details, the absence of a carcass and purported sightings by people in live in the area have added a new twist to the saga. Whether a true story or a fabrication, the Emperor case shows that anti-hunting sentiment in England is as alive as ever. BM
